Manchester United host Aston Villa at Old Trafford aiming to strengthen their place in the top four of the Premier League.

Here are the top five statistics ahead of Saturday's encounter:

31 - Manchester United have 31 Premier League wins against Aston Villa, the joint-most of any team against any opponent in the history of the competition (along with Man Utd versus Everton).

1 - Aston Villa have won just one of their last 38 Premier League games against Manchester United (L27 D10 W1).

12 - Wayne Rooney has scored 12 goals against Aston Villa, his joint-highest tally against any opponent in Premier League history along with Newcastle United. He has scored eight goals in his last six Premier League games at Old Trafford against the Villans, netting four braces.

6 - Villa have seen six players sent off in the Premier League this season; more than any other Premier League team, and two more than they had in any previous domestic campaign. United, meanwhile, have experienced four dismissals to date.

8 - On just eight occasions this season have a side used two or more players that are under 20 in a Premier League game - seven of these have been by Manchester United (Arsenal the other).

Chris Linnell

Chris is a freelance football writer from Wiltshire, England. He is currently studying Modern History and Politics at the University of Liverpool. He has written for various other sites, including the Boot Room and Bleacher Report. His work has also featured on Eurosport.